Stretch
by eevee248
Summary: "He's frustratingly out of reach." Sometimes, all it takes is a little stretch. One-sided Robin/Cordelia one-shot.


I don't really have much to say about this piece, besides the fact that I'm not even sure I planned on uploading it in the first place? But I did find it buried beneath the stuff I was planning to upload, so here, have an angsty-but-kind of fluffy thing.

**Pairings: **One-sided M!RobinxCordelia, one-sided CordeliaxChrom (as usual), ChromxOlivia, implied FrederickxSumia.

**Words: **1,373

**Rating****: **K+, really, but there are some things that might make it T? Somewhere between those two ratings.

**Warnings: **Spoilers past Chapter 11, a semi-gruesome description of Gangrel's death, aaaand I think that's it?

* * *

He's frustratingly out of reach.

The crowd is thick, and Cordelia feels suffocated by those that surround her. After the stench of war, the embrace of bathed bodies is bizarre, and while she can appreciate everyone being so presentable for such an event, she feels like she's being choked by the smells all the same. The entire time, she's been avoiding drinking, but she feels so light-headed all the same, and _gods_, she needs to throw-up so bad...

She peers through the crowd, and somehow her gaze falls upon him:

Chrom.

And his wife.

She doesn't understand; she just _can't_ understand. It hasn't even been a year since Gangrel was defeated, his body hanging limply at the end of Cordelia's own lance... It hasn't even been a year since Olivia and Chrom first met, when the talented dancer smuggled them out of the Plegian courtyard...

And yet here they are.

Getting _married_, for Naga's sake.

Someone grips Cordelia's shoulder, and she glances back and meets the concerned and warm gaze of Robin. She can't help but wonder why he's here; he's Chrom's _best friend_, for Naga's sake. He should be by him serving as some sort of best man, not standing here with her. Robin is her friend, sure, but she wishes he'd put Chrom's needs first.

Cordelia wonders for a split second if Chrom is nervous, but she shakes the thought away as Robin still regards her sympathetically. It occurs to Cordelia that Robin must _know_, judging by the look that he's giving her, and that only makes her want to throw up more. She can just imagine the looks everyone would give her, though... They would probably reach the conclusion that she had been drinking, but Sumia - kind, gentle, and always honest Sumia - would probably be quick to convince them otherwise.

She can see Sumia, too, standing up there next to Frederick as her husband and Chrom converse. Cordelia catches a flash of movement as Olivia cringes, a scarlet hue overtaking the dancer's face. Chrom glances towards his bride, and the gentle look he regards her with as he wraps his arm around her shoulders leads Cordelia's throat to clog up.

Robin's grip on her shoulder tightens as though attempting to remind her of his presence, and the Pegasus knight looks back at the strategist wearily. He smiles softly, and Cordelia fails to realize how similar the look he's giving her is to the one Chrom gave Olivia just seconds prior. "Do you need to step away for a bit?"

She does, but Cordelia has no idea where she would go. The entire town is clustered here for the wedding, and they're already outdoors... Who knows how far the crowd goes. She meets Robin's gaze, and a smile tugs at the corner of his lips when his hand drops from her shoulder to grip her fingers.

"It's okay," he somehow manages to say over the excited chatter of the people around them, "I'll figure out where to take you." Cordelia doesn't even have the chance to protest before he's leading her through the crowd, and she squeezes her eyes shut in a feeble attempt to prevent her head from spinning. Her closed eyes shield her from the look of approval Gaius shoots Robin, and the blush that spreads across Robin's face in response. At some point, she notices a slight change in smells - perhaps they're moving through the outer throng of peasants?

And suddenly, she doesn't feel suffocated anymore.

The fresh air hits her like a soothing wave, and a smile somehow slips onto her face while she subconsciously grips Robin's hand. Robin allows a small smile of his own, blushing significantly less than before but blushing all the same as he leads her into the empty streets. A part of him is impressed by how hyped-up the villagers are in regards to Chrom getting married, but he supposes it's only natural - after the loss of Emmeryn, he can understand why the townspeople would be anxious for a new heir in case worst comes to worst and something happens to their current exalt. Robin spots a fountain, and decides that that will be his destination, gently tugging Cordelia into the spray.

The second three gentle droplets come into contact with her cheek, Cordelia's eyes spring wide, and she uses her free hand to gently wipe her face. A part of her worries that she started crying without noticing somehow, but then she notices that Robin's face is also splattered with water, and as she glances around her, she can't help but giggle despite her current situation. "It's refreshing," she murmurs, not expecting an answer. "Just what I needed..." She closes her eyes in bliss as the water continues to dampen her hair, and Robin smiles gently at the sight. She is nothing like the woman he battles beside here; she does not worriedly glance across the field out of concern for Chrom, nor is a Mad King hanging off the edge of her lance. There is no grief etched on her face when she occasionally recalls the fall of her comrades in the midst of a battle, nor is there a look of sheer disgust as she pierces Risen. Here, she finally seems simply at piece, and Robin allows a mental congratulation towards himself for thinking of taking her out here.

Mindlessly, he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and she blinks, staring at him as though startled. Robin reddens somewhat, snapping his hand away. "I'm sorry, you just looked so, er..." Cordelia merely watches him, surprised to see the talented strategist acting like a bumbling mess. "R-really angelic..." Robin finishes, reddening so that his face matches Cordelia's hair. She reddens somewhat herself, even though she doesn't quite understand what's going on.

"Thank you, Robin," Cordelia replies, just because it seems like the right thing to say, "That's really kind of you to say."

Robin's brow creases as his attitude completely swings, his gaze determinedly meeting hers. "I'm not just saying it, though, Cordelia. You really are beautiful." He smiles, and he suddenly seems more sure of what he's saying, clenching Cordelia's hand confidently. "And very cute." Cordelia reddens, tugging her hand out of his grip as though suddenly remembering he was holding it in the first place.

This wasn't the first time Robin had called her cute; it had happened once before, back in the Hotrealm when she was gathering sea shells. But then, it had been friendly and carelessly said, as were most of Robin's compliments. This time, though...

This time, Robin almost sounded like the hero of one of those romance novels Cordelia occasionally finds herself reading!

Both of them stand there silently for a moment, Cordelia awkwardly avoiding his gaze while he continues to watch the fountain soak her. Finally, she clears her throat, and Robin's gaze finds her face rather than her overall image. "I should probably go," she informs him, trying her best not to think as the words roll off her tongue. "If someone sees us, they'll think we're..."

Robin knows what she's going to say. It isn't like before, when Cordelia had yet to acknowledge him as a friend. His shoulders can't help but sink at the silent rejection, but Cordelia misses his shift in posture due to worried thoughts about just how much of the wedding they've been missing.

A part of him considers mentioning to her that no one _will_ see them, seeing as they're all too busy at the event back where they came from, but he quickly thinks better of it. Cordelia tilts her head, taking in Robin's thoughtful expression. She can't imagine what he's thinking about, but she can't bring herself to ask in fear of disturbing his train of thought. Instead, she gently takes his hand, pulling him through the streets and back to the suffocating crowds.

At first, Robin cringes at the touch as though it stings him, but he struggles to get his emotions in check, if only so he could think clearly. He knows that now would not be the best time to address Cordelia with his feelings directly, but someday...

Someday, he'll always be there for her.


End file.
